Hantu Belian

Hantus are manifestations of the powerful nature spirits that inhabit all things, from animals to objects to the environment itself. As spiritual representations of whatever they inhabit, hantus follow no preordained agenda. Some hantus choose to act as guardians, defending the forest or waterway that they represent, while others simply set out into the world and experience the wonders of life in ways that their physical form-be it a boulder, bamboo stand, or tapir-would typically be unable to enjoy.

Hantus are most well known in the archipelago of Minata, particularly in the southern islands of Rendah Pulu, where animists believe that hantus manifest in locations imbued with significant spiritual power. To the residents of Rendah Pulu, hantus exist as manifestations of their culture's anxieties, fears, and ills. An individual who encounters a hantu might interpret the meeting as a sign that they have dwelt for too long on their particular worries (or the opposite: they have ignored the source of their anxieties for too long).

The hantu belian represents the spiritual essence of a tiger and typically manifests as a ghostly bird perched on a tiger's back. Hantu belians commit acts of great destruction as well as restoration. They sometimes possess humanoids to cause great discord and devastation, though their intentions are typically borne of amusement or boredom rather than malice.